Foursquare Gospel Church Igbosere (Chapel of Blessing)

OUR DAILY BREAD April 8, Sunday STRENGTH IN SUFFERING Lawrence Darmani Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.  1 Peter 2:21 1 Peter 2:11–23 Bible in a year:  1 Samuel 10–12; Luke 9:37–62 When eighteen-year-old Sammy received Jesus as Savior, his family rejected him because their tradition was of a different faith. But the Christian community welcomed him, offering encouragement and financial resources for his education. Later, when his testimony was published in a magazine, his persecution intensified. But Sammy did not stop seeing his family. He visited whenever he could and talked with his father, even though his siblings cruelly prevented him from participating in family affairs. When his father fell ill, Sammy overlooked his family’s slighting and attended to him, praying his father would get well. When God healed him, the family began to warm up toward Sammy. Over time, his loving witness softened ...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 7, Saturday FAIR PLAY Leslie Koh In everything set them an example by doing what is good.  Titus 2:7 Titus 2:7–8, 11–14 Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 7–9; Luke 9:18–36 When Singaporean runner Ashley Liew found himself at the head of the pack during a marathon at the Southeast Asian Games, he knew something was wrong. He quickly realized that the lead runners had taken a wrong turn and were now behind. Ashley could have taken advantage of their mistake, but a strong sense of sportsmanship told him it would not be a genuine victory. He wanted to win because he was faster—not because those ahead of him had made a mistake. Acting on his convictions, he slowed down to let them catch up. In the end, Ashley lost the race and missed out on a medal. But he won the hearts of his countrymen—and an international award for his act of fair play. It spoke well of his faith as a Christian, and must have prompted some to ask, “What made him do that?” Ashley’s act challeng...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 6, Friday Comfort Shared James Banks Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.  John 20:21 2 Corinthians 1:1–10 Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 4–6; Luke 9:1–17 “God sent you to me tonight!” Those were the parting words from the woman standing in front of me as we exited our flight to Chicago. She had sat across the aisle from me, where I learned she was headed home after several flights in a round-trip that day. “Do you mind if I ask why you had such a quick turnaround?” I inquired. She glanced downward: “I just put my daughter in rehab for drug abuse today.” In the moments that followed I gently shared the story of my son’s struggle with heroin addiction and how Jesus had set him free. As she listened, a smile broke through her tears. After the plane landed we prayed together before parting, asking God to break her daughter’s chains. Later that evening I thought of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:3–4: “Praise be to the God and Fathe...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 5, Thursday WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR Kirsten Holmberg I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad.  2 Chronicles 18:7 2 Chronicles 18:5–27 Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 1–3; Luke 8:26–56 As human beings, we are prone to seek out information that supports the opinions we hold. Research shows that we’re actually  twice as likely to look for information that supports our position. When we’re deeply committed to our own way of thinking, we avoid having that thinking challenged by opposing positions. Such was the case in King Ahab’s rule over Israel. When he and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, discussed whether to go to war against Ramoth Gilead, Ahab gathered 400 prophets—men he’d appointed to that role himself and would therefore tell him what he wanted to hear—to help them decide. Each replied he should go, saying “God will give it into the king’s hand” (2 Chronicles 18:5). Jehoshaphat asked whether there was a prophet who ...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 5, Thursday WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR Kirsten Holmberg I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad.  2 Chronicles 18:7 2 Chronicles 18:5–27 Bible in a year: 1 Samuel 1–3; Luke 8:26–56 As human beings, we are prone to seek out information that supports the opinions we hold. Research shows that we’re actually  twice as likely to look for information that supports our position. When we’re deeply committed to our own way of thinking, we avoid having that thinking challenged by opposing positions. Such was the case in King Ahab’s rule over Israel. When he and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, discussed whether to go to war against Ramoth Gilead, Ahab gathered 400 prophets—men he’d appointed to that role himself and would therefore tell him what he wanted to hear—to help them decide. Each replied he should go, saying “God will give it into the king’s hand”...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 4, Wednesday FRONT -PORCH RELIEF Marvin Williams I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.  Philippians 4:12 Philippians 4:10–20 Bible in a year: Ruth 1–4; Luke 8:1–25 On a particularly hot day, eight-year-old Carmine McDaniel wanted to make sure his neighborhood mail carrier stayed cool and hydrated. So he left a cooler filled with a sports drink and water bottles on their front step. The family security camera recorded the mail carrier’s reaction: “Oh man, water and Gatorade. Thank God; thank you!” Carmine’s mom says, “Carmine feels that it’s his ‘duty’ to supply the mailman with a cool beverage even if we’re not home.” This story warms our hearts, but it also reminds us that there is One who will “meet all your needs,” as the apostle Paul phrased it. Though Paul was languishing in jail and uncertain about his future, he expressed joy for the Christians in Philippi because God had met his needs through their financial gi...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 3, Tuesday SWEET AND BITTER Keila Ochoa You are good, and what you do is good.  Psalm 119:68 Psalm 119:65–72 Bible in a year: Judges 19–21; Luke 7:31–50 Some people like bitter chocolate and some prefer sweet. Ancient Mayans in Central America enjoyed chocolate as a beverage and seasoned it with chili peppers. They liked this “bitter water,” as they called it. Many years later it was introduced in Spain, but the Spaniards preferred chocolate sweet, so they added sugar and honey to counteract its natural bitterness. Like chocolate, days can be bitter or sweet as well. A seventeenth-century French monk named Brother Lawrence wrote, “If we knew how much [God] loves us, we would always be ready to receive equally . . . from His hand the sweet and the bitter.” Accept the sweet and the bitter equally? This is difficult! What is Brother Lawrence talking about? The key lies in God’s character. The psalmist said of God, “You are good, and what you do is good” (...

OUR DAILY BREAD April 2 Monday ANONYMOUS KINDNESS Monica Brands When you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.  Matthew 6:3 Matthew 6:1–4 Bible in a year: Judges 16–18; Luke 7:1–30 When I first graduated from college, I found myself needing to adopt a strict grocery budget—twenty-five dollars a week, to be exact. One day, while entering the checkout line, I suspected the groceries I’d selected cost slightly more than my remaining money. “Just stop when we reach twenty dollars,” I told the cashier, and I was able to purchase everything I’d selected but a bag of peppers. As I was about to drive home, a man stopped by my car. “Here’s your peppers, ma’am,” he said, handing the bag to me. Before I had time to thank him, he was already walking away. Remembering the simple goodness of this act of kindness still warms my heart and brings to mind Jesus’s words in Matthew 6. Criticizing those who made a show of giving to the needy (v. 2), J...

SIS  MODUPEOLUWA EJEH Theme of the Year: New Heights (Lev26:13, Phi 3:13-14) Theme of the Month: Victory for Royal Ambassadors Topic:Embracing the Victory of The Cross Victory over Satan, sin and circumstances of life does not happen by means of the arm of the flesh.The flesh will fail because it is limited to the material world. The Bible says our battle is against principalities and powers, etc. To Position ourselves in a way that such forces will be under our control, we need an alliance with the one who created both them and us, the Almighty God. Our alliance with God starts with our salvation, God is a Spirit and those who will benefit from a relationship with him must be spiritual. We must be born of the Spirit by faith (John 3:3-8).We must follow the teaching of the Bible about how to be born again by faith. John 5:4-5 says for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith....